Variety (Aug 1937)

W«<lne«l«rt August 11, 1^37 LIIERATI ~ CONCERT VARIETY 59 Literati Circulafion by States New York newspap«rs far outstrip all other states in circulation but California's press comprises the most cheels, U. S. Commerce Dept. re- ported Friday (6). Figures showed strong journalistic comebacH through 1935, although daily circulation figures remained under 1929. Sun- day total was ahead by nearly 200,000. With daily and Sunday readers ag- gregating over 70,000,000 only seven states had evening papers, only four had morning^ and only eight had Sunday rags with circulations over the million mark. Country had 464 a.m.'s, with 15,983,996 circulation, 1,573 p.m.'s with 24,886,550 circula- tion, and 523 Sunday's with 29,196,006 circulation. Figures for leading states are: Number Circulation California 157 2,356,113 Illinois 105 3,572,986 Massachusetts .... 67 2,511,712 Michigan .... 59 1,464,976 New York 143 7,683,426 Ohio 130 2,646,872 Pennsylvania .... 145 3,376,783 Texas 123 1,429,293 Guild Vote Aug. 18 . The referendum to decide the fu- ture status of the American News- paper Guild will be held next week, (18), following a decision of the In- ternational Executive Board on Mon- day. Seven questions covering all the decisions of the Columbus con- vention will be put to the member- ship, which will vote individually and not as Guild units. 'Shall the American Newspaper. Guild rescind the action of the St. Louis conven- tion .in affiliating the ANG with the CIO and sever that affiliation?' is the most important of the questions which will be voted on. Only members of the ANQ_ prior to June 1, and in good standing will participate in the vote. Altogether there is a voting strength of about 11,000 in the Guild, but not all of these will vote, because of thfe usual hummer slump in dues. A few days remain for members to pay back dues to be eligible-to vote. ius Ochs Adler, vice president-gen- eral manager of the Times, and Mrs. Arthur Hays Sulzberger, wife of the publisher of the N. Y. Times, are among the other Sponsors. Dr. Everett R. Ciinchy, executive head of the National Conference of Jews and Christians, is director of the In-- stitute. Arthur Krock, Washington corre- spondent of the New York Times, will lead a symposium on 'Public Opinion in a Democracy,' Other correspondents arid publishers ex- pected to take part in this discussion are: Sir Wilmot Lewis, Washington correspondent of the London Times; Henry R. Luce, publisher of Time, Fortune and Life; Henry Haskell, editor, Kansas City Star; Frank R. Kent, columnist for the Baltimore Sun and a syndicate of newspapers; Herbert Agar, editorial writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal, and Wilbur Forrest, executive assistant to the editor of the New York-Her- ald Tribune. Rev, John La Farge, S.J., will pre- side- at- the round table discussion- of the religious press. At a session dealing with radio, Sept. 3, the Rev. James M. Gillis, C.S.P., editor of The Catholic World, and broadcaster on the Catholic Hour over. NBC, will speak; on 'The Radio and Religion'' Salzburg Sensation Salzburg, July 30. Town's first traffic signal has been, installed on the main square here to facilitate hand- ling of the motor car influx. Automatic , blinking lights are attracting more attention from the native peasants than is the Mozart festival. have yet been worked out, but back- ers have been working on the plans for more than a year. Esquire-Coronet corporation's re- cent balance sheet filed with the Se- curities & Exchange Commission shows that the firm possesses cash on hand of $1,514,000, with total as- sets listed as $2,500,000. Three months' net income for the period ending June 30 is listed as $363,522, after Federal tax deductions, as com- pared to $127,759 for the same period last year. Total profit for 1936 after deduct- ing Federal normal tax, but not the surtax, was $937,000. Coronet, less than a year old, and without any advertising, has showh steady in- creases and has- a profit of $150,000 to date. Advertising will start in that magazine in the October issue. Heifetz Session Helped Lots In Hypoing Stadium s $23,000 &oss Rnlnnoff's Big Crowd Chicago, Aug. 10. Probably largest crowd iever to hear a concert in the U. S., heard Dave Rubinoft as guest conductor and soloist in the regular open air session in Grant Park (6). Estimated that 225,000 were actually there, with 25,000 more turned away. Appearance of Rubinoff came after a .20 day build-up by Bill Green. SALZBUR€ IS SNUBBED BY GERMANY New Rochester Dally? With over 25,000 circulation signed when, and if, plans for the Roches- ter l)aily Press are hanging fire, with members of the Journal Em- ployes ' Assn. and former Hearst Publisher Meyer Jacobstein seeking to line up finances. Chief basis for the pew sheet is public reaction to one-man control .of the newspaper situation in the city. Flash, weekly green sheet selling for a dime, has folded. Replaced immediately by the Banner at a nickel, with Dick Smith, former Hearst reporter, editing. Selling as •Rochester's new newspaper,' and- claiming 25,000 circulation the first week. The Post's Pep Newspapermen and publication observers have been commenting on the Saturday Evening Post's re- newed pep. Many date its virility, away from previously staid lines, as being coincidental with the eleva- tion of Wesley Winans Stout to the chief editorship. SEP has been going in for a wider assortment of stories and articles, including an obvious bid for the 'popular' reader interest via pieces on Hollywood, etc. The general in- formality, too, of the backpage Keeping Posted commentary on writers and Stories is regarded as a new keynote of the Satevepost Bell's Abbreviated Title Dell Publications will add a new nag to their list next month titled 'Mr.' First issue will contain 132 pages of material, with color illus- trations throughout. It will be pocket size and sell for a quarter. Mag will have masculine appeal, contain both fiction and non-fiction and cartoons in color. Norman Anthony, editor of Ballyhoo, will also edit this one. B'klyn Eagle's Sunday Supp Brooklyn Sunday Eagle is issuing a weekly supplement titled 'Trend' with George Currie, former book reviewer and sports writer, editing. Forrriat is full newspaper size page, with combination of material similar to' that of Time and Life mags. Lyle Dowling, formerly managing editor of the paper is an associate as is Winston Burdette. Former was once secretary to Walter Pitkin. World Observer Stitrts World Observer is the name of a I new monthly mag published by the Lucis Publishing Co., with Ameri- can .headquarters in New York City. Editors are Alice A. Bailey and Foster Bailey with Florence Bro- beck as managing editor. Purpose of the mag is promotion of world harmony. Contributors to the first issue in- clude Magaret Ayer Cobb, Dane Rurhyar, Jay Franklin, Linton Wil- son, Dorothy Sabin Butler, George T. Tichenor, Thomas McClary, Gault MacGowan, Claude Bragdon, Leonie Rose and Dr. Edgar J. Fisher. Salzburg. July 30. Germany, which is trying to buck the current Salzburg Festival with musical fests of its own running all summer as tourist traps, is snubbing the show here as the Deutschland never has before. Only one concert is being picked up by the German radio stations. Soviet Russia, however, is display- ing much more interest than here- tofore. USSR stations are picking up six concerts for blanket broad- casting across the country. France is taking 14, England 11, and Amer- ica 8. Redstone Avers Isolation Book and Magazine Guild has de- cided- not to drop charges _ against Standard Magazines in the 'case of David Redstone who was reinstated last week and the matter will again come before the Nat'l Labor Rela- tions Board. Contention is that Redstone has not been put back at his old position and is being dis- criminated against for union activi- .ties. It appeared last week as though the matter was satisfactorily settled when Redstone went back to work after several preliminary hearings before the board. This is, however, not the case at the present time, as Redstone charges that he has been isolated from other employees and is not back at the position he has held for several years. Case is the first Book and Magazine Guild mat- ter to come to the attention of the NLRB. L. A. Times Weakens Los Angeles Times, .fighting threat- ened encroachments of the News- paper Guild, went on the five-day week last Sunday (8), with staff re- ceiving same pay handed out form- erly for six days. Paper also gave- workers the privilege of working six days and getting seven days' pay for il. It's understood there has been aggressive proselytizing among Times staff members engineered by the Guild with several on the anti- labor rag having secretly aligned themselves with the LANG unit. Rochester D. A C. Shakeup City desk shakeup on the Roche.s ter Democrat & Chronicle shifts Wliliam Lewis from Sunday to day city editor, Norris Vagg from day city editor to the night trick, Roy El- liott from night city editor to special reporting, Cliff Carpenter from as sistant city editor to Sunday editor. Additions to the staff include copy reader Art Wood.and reporter Jim- my Hart from Albany, copyreaders Nate Kahn. New York, and LeRoy Eichert, Wisconsin; photographer Jack Irving, New York, and .sports writer Paul Pinckney, Syracuse. Dodd Mead's Contest Dodd, Mead & Co. are sponsoring a contest for the best fiction or non- fiction manuscript of 70,000 to 150,- 000 words written by an American newspaper man or magazine writer professionally employed as such. Award is a $2,000 advance against royalties. Contest which will be judged by Herbert Agar and Stanley Walker closes March 1, 1938. G. L. George's New Berth G. L. George, Hollywood corre- spondent for Ce Soir, of Paris, has resigned to become foreign rep for Associated Film Audiences. Sailed from New York last Friday (6) to set up an International Film Audiences Bureau in Paris, co- operating with similar groups on the continent. Frisco Opera in L A. For the first time since its forma- tionj the San Francisco Opera Com- pany will this season give perform- ances in Los Angeles, Will offer five dates, including two German operas, two Italian and one French. Singers set for the Frisco season include Lily Pons and Richard Bo- nelli (who will also appear with the Met, N. Y., and the Chicago), Charles Kullmann, Rosa Tentoni and Kath- ryn Meisle. All set by Calvin Frank- lin, of Columbia Concerts bureau. Rosalyn Tureck's 6 Rosalyn Tureck, pianist, will give a series of six Bach recitals this sea- son in Town Hall, N. Y. Dates are Nov, 8, 17, 24, Dec. 1, 8 and 15. Charles L, Wagner handling. Wililamstown Huddles Figures in newspaper, radio and motion pictures will take part in dis- cussions of these principal agencies of public opinion 'from the point of view of their relation to ethics and religion,' at the Institute of Human . Smart-Weintraub-^Gingrrich Ag-ain Esquire-Coronet, Inc.s new mar. which will be announced in the forthcoming issue of Esquire and due out in the fall, is titled 'Ken,' and will probably be a bi-monthly, though this has not definitely been decided upon. Publishers state the mag will be different from any other publications on the market, includ- ing the two now put out by the firm, and will 'concern itself with the Insiders World.' Likelihood, is that Erne.<!t Hemingway will be the editor. David Smart is to be publi.sher. Relations in Williamstown, Mass., 1 William H. Weintraub. a.ssociate pub- Aug. 29 to Sept. 3. William S. Paley | li.'^her. and Arnold Gingrich, tem- of CBS/ i.s one of the 36 Americans i porarily at least, editor. Mag will .^^ponporin'^ the Institute, which will , be 'expertly staffed' but no names be attended by leaders of Catholic, | have as yet been reveiiled. No de- Protestant and Jewish thought. Jul- i cision as to format and other details LITERATI DEATHS THIS WEEK Fretf Eldridge, 60, editorial execu- tive with Hearst for 35 years, died Aug. 9 in Louisiana from a bronchial ailment. Started newspaper work in Philadelphia, later becoming manag- ing editor of the Inquirer there. After several years as managing editor of the N. Y. Journal he went to the Coast to become editorial head of the L.A. Examiner. Before stricken he was editorial supervisor of all Hearst morning dailies on the Coast, Survived by a widow, Florence Lawrence, drama •editor of the i-<.A. Examiner. Lee JefTerson Lansriey, newspaper man and former member of Georgia Legislature, died Friday (6) at his home in Lakeview, Ga,, after a heart attack. Started on Atlanta Constitu- tion, practiced law from 1898 to 1903, when he became New Orleans rep- resentative for Manufacturers' Rec- ord. Subsequently associated with news staffs of Chicago American, Louisville Courier Journal, Mont- gomery (Ala.) Journal, Birmingham Age-Herald and St. Louis Star. Percival Mullikin, 71, publicity di- rector and manager of the informa- tion bureau of the Queen.sboro Chamber of Commerce and former city editor of the North Shore Jour- nal, died Aug. 4 after a lonsr iUn«-f-, William (Bunk) Macbeth, 52, sports writer for the N. Y. Herald Tribune for 13 years and former sports editor of that paper, died in Saratoga, N. Y., after,a short illne.ss. He had been a .sports writer for 33 years, and was fir.st as.sociated in New York with the American and then the Sun. He was a founder of the Baseball Writers A.ssociation and conceived the idea for the Turf- writers Association. He was instru- mental in briiifiing Babe Ruth to the N. Y. Yankees and Uir^JcIy rospon- .sible for bringinj.' profcs.sional hockey to N. Y. In Figures at the Lewisohn Stadium concerts last week, the next to last of the season, topped previous highs for series. "Totals were among the best in history of the Stadium con- certs. That, although one night was rained out and last Monday (9) night's George Gershwin memorial concert, setting all-time records, was not included. For the six nights, a total of 41,800 .paid admissions were estimated to have been rung up, for an estimated gross of $23,200. Responsible for the bulge was Jascha Heifetz, •.•'who packed two hordes in (not counting a rained out performance that drew 15,000) for a record double total of 34,000 admissions and a combinetl gross of $19,000. EstimatCB for Last Week Monday <2), Jascha Heifetz, violin .soloist, with George King Rauden- bush conducting ($1.50 top); terrific mob, probably 15,000, but rain no- diced it; date postponed. Tuesday (3), Jascha Heifetz, with Raudenbush conducting ($1.50 top); all stadium attendance records kayoed as the fiddler again proved a b.o. wallop and clear weather helped; 18,000 present, for gross of $10,000. Wednesday (4), Jascha Heifetz and Raudenbush again, replacing the originally-scheduled Willem van Hoogstraton for the postponed date ($1,50 top), clear weather and an- other huge turnout, close to 16,000 present; amazing $9,000, Thursday (5), regular concert, with Willem van Hoogstratep baton- ing for his first Stadium date of the seasoh ($1 top); officials blamed it on the hot weather, but conductor isn't ioo exciting draw; only $800', very poor.- Friday (6), riegular concert, van Hoogstraten again conducting ($1 top); still warm and still no biz, but better, $1,500. Saturday (7), regular concert, van Hoogstraten conducting ($1 top); heat and general lack of interest withered the gate; $800. Sunday (8), regular concert, van Hoogstraten again waving the stick ($1 top); still hot weather and still cold business; $1,100. , This week started ofT with a sky- rocket gross Monday (9),'20,223 per- sons scrambling into and over the Stadium for the George Gershwin memorial concert Final week's fig- ures therefore are off to a healthy start, with possibility of cracking last week's grosses on the added presence of Albert Spalding, Harold Bauer and Efrem Zimbalist as soloists. CHATTER William Saroyan in New York, Oliver La Farge vacationing Santa Fe. Nora Benjamin , working on an- other juve. . Nancy .Hale collecting letters of Elinor Wylie. Life mag estimates its first year loss as $2,500,000. ' ' Zora Hurston returning to N. Y. from Haiti next non*h. Irene Haird's first novel, 'John,' will be out next month, Olive Higgins Prouty finishing a new novel titled 'Li.sa Vale.' Fawcett Publications will merge Screen Play with Screen Book in Oc- tober, Elizabeth Corbett ha.s finished her new novel titled 'The Langworthy Family.' Heinrich Mann will have a new novel out next month based on the life of Henry IV. Arthur S. Draper, former editor of The Literary Digest, joins the De- partment of Labor. As.sociated Press laboratory has turned out a new portable wire- photo receijving .set 40 inches high. Can be hitched up to any telephone circuit. Sam Goldwyn ha.s given CINCY 6-WEEK SHOW SCORES Cincinnati, Aug. 10. Six-week summer opera season at the Zoo, which closed Saturday (7) with the performance of 'Pagliacci* and 'Cavalleria Rusticana' drew the largest attendance in recent years. Open-sided auditorium seats 1,900, Scale was 25c to $1.50, In all 15 operas were presented. For the first time portions of some of the operas were broadcast, ' Before disbanding the company jumped to Toledo, O., for three per- formances in the amphitheatre of the Toledo Zoological Society, .seating 4,000. *Aida' was scheduled for Sun- day (8), 'Carmen' Tuesday (10) and 'Rigoletto' Wednesday (11). Troupe of 120 includes Soloists, chorus and orchestra, Gertrude Sprenger is spon.sor of the Toledo offerings. Several of the artists who .sang here this summer are booked for a series of operas in Carracas, Vene- away . zuela, in September, They are Carl^ more than a thousand copies of hi.s | Morelli, Armand Tokatyan, Norman biog by Alva Johnston. ; Cordon. Jose .De Gaviria; aLso An- Robert French and Thoma.s H., ihony Spivatelli, stage manager, and Raywood back tomorrow (12) from i Fausla Cleva, conductor, two weeks at Clayton, N. Y, i o.'-car F. Hild, head of the local George Conrad Ebbert is syndicat- j mu.sicians- union, was general man- mg his own short feature. 'Life- ; ager of the summer opera company.- Lines, instead of via a .syndicate. j Charles S. Hart, author of'General ' Washington's Son of Israel' h^ in New Hampshire been elected Gran . Exalted Ruler of \ the Elk.s, Lsak Dihe.sen has comple'icd the m.s, of a new book of short storitK about Africa, ..'hich Random ll')u.«€ i will publish next year. Edwin Slrawbridge and Li.sa Par- nova, with their ballet, dance a ohe- uiKhltr at the Town House, Poter- boroufih, N, H., next TiiesHjiy »17). Dti.-1 bet by Edward W, Lowrey.